The Struggle for Fair Treatment

Naturopathic medicine has been licensed in Oregon since 1927 and enjoys an exceptional safety record. Unfortunately the profession operates in a hostile environment. Many barriers have been placed between people seeking care and the naturopathic doctors that provide it. Insurers reimburse naturopathic physician’s on average ~50% what they pay every other similarly trained and licensed health care provider for treating the same conditions in primary care settings.

For these reasons, Dr. Clark has long served as a volunteer on the board of directors for the Oregon Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OANP). He is the current legislative committee chair, leading the effort for fair treatment of NDs and the patients who benefit from their services. The struggle is primarily with health insurers who are flagrantly violating antitrust law, and in general for commensurate participation of NDs in Oregon’s broader health care system.

Service to Oregon

Dr. Clark served as a volunteer member of the Oregon Health Policy Board’s — Health Care Workforce Committee where was the 2019 committee chair, and 2020 past chair. Previously he has served on the “network adequacy” rules advisory committee of the Insurance Commission of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services. Previously he has served as “member at large” for the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce executive committee.

From time to time Dr. Clark has served as an expert witness in medical malpractice legal proceedings regarding mistakes of naturopathic physicians and other licensed provider types in an incident of harm. Most recently on the plaintiff side.

Life Story in Three Paragraphs

Originally from Montana, Dr. Clark has helped raise a family of Oregonians. His daughters have been fully vaccinated in their childhood and youth, attended Oregon public schools, and the University of Oregon. They are now embarked on their own independent adult lives.

With unbridled love of the outdoors, nature, and all living things — Dr. Clark is an enthusiastic home composter, organic vegetable gardener, and small time grass-fed cattle rancher at the family property in southern Oregon. A rural place where he frequently visits for personal renewal.

As a US citizen he advocates for minimizing and eliminating herbicides and pesticides from our food supply, air, water and the rest of the biological environment. Though we don’t all appreciate it everyday, every one of us relies upon a clean and sustainable biological world for our lives, health, and well being.